Web cut-off



Dec. 26, 1939.

H. B. GREENWOOD WEB CUT-OFF Original Filed Nov. 18, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheetl Dec. 26, 1939. H, B GREENWOQD 2,184,522

WEB CUT-OFF original Filed Nov. 18, 193e 2 sheets-sneet 2 Patented Dec.26, 1939 Unirse STATES PTENT ONCE WEB CUT-OFF Application November 18,1936, Serial No. 111,395, Renewed June 3, 1939 8 Claims. f (Cl. 164-68)The invention relates to a machine for cutting sheets of adjustablelengths for any purpose from a continuous web, the object of theinvention being to provide an improved cut-off mechanism for use incutting sheets of adjustable lengths from a slitted web or from aplurality of webs.

While the machine of the invention is operable with almost any materialwhich may be presented in the form of a web, it is particularly 10adapted for use in cutting fiber board or corrugated paper board whichcomes directly to the cut-oi mechanism from a iiber board machine orfrom a corrugator. At these corrugators and liber board machines aremost eiiiciently operated at a constant speed, the number of cuttingcycles per unit of time is changed to determine the length of the sheetsto be cut.

The machine of the invention being adapted for operation upon aplurality of webs is provided with a plurality of cutting heads and asthese webs are generally in the existing practice formed by slitting asingle main web they are fed at equal speeds in planes diverging fromthe point of slitting, and as it is often desirable to cut blanks ofdifferent lengths at th-e same time from the respective webs, theseheads are driven at speeds which are independently adjusted as to thenumber of cutting cycles per minute, the

width ofthe sheets being determined either by changing the width of themain web or the point at which it is slitted or both of these elements.

In accordance with the existing practice the cutoiI mechanism isconnected to the machine which produces the web to be driven in timedrelation thereto and the elements of speed variation, i. e. variation ofthe number of cuts per minute, and the relative speed of the webdetermines the maximum and minimum cuts, i. e.

the maximum and minimum lengths of the blanks to be cut. Between theselengths there is a medium cut which is so chosen that it may be said torepresent the normal operation of the machine near which point themajority of cuts are made. In cutting this medium length blank thecutters move at constant speed throughout the cycle, the speed of thecutters being substantially equal to the speed of the web. When thelength of the blank is changed to increase or decrease it from thismedium cut the speed of the cutters may be changed within the cycle,

to cause the cutting speed to conform substantially to the speed of thepaper, as the number of cutting cycles per minute is changed to changethe length of the blanks or the sheets being cut.

In all these cutting operations the cutters and all other moving partsof the machine move in continuous rotation, the changesof speed when itis utilized being on one side or the other vof a constant medium speedand therefore relatively slight. Further such changes are so gradual anduniform as to eliminate practically all vibration or shock which isincident to this cutting operation in the prior art machines.

A further object of the invention is to simplify the machine, reduce thenumber and complica- 10 tion of the parts, to synchronize the operationof the cutter heads, to increase the compactness of the machine both asto its longitudinal and upright dimensions and to make the cutter headsof substantially uniform construction and arrange- 15 ment avoiding theproduction of right and left hand parts and making all parts of therespective heads interchangeable thus reducing the cost of production ofthe machine. It is of interest in this connection that the cutting headswhich 20 comprise large and small cutting cylinders are similarlyarranged, i. e. both having the large cutters above, one cutting headhaving its small cutter between the two parts ofthe split .web and theother cutting head which is immediately 25 adjacent the first cuttinghead having its large cutter between the webs and its small cutter belowthe lower part of the split web, giving iny creased compactness andconvenience of feed and delivery and greater simplicity of construc- 30tion as compared to the previous machines.

A further object is to provide an eicient arrangement of the cuttersbetween the divergent webs, the small radius cutter of one head beingrelatively near the point of slitting and the rela- 35 tively largeradius cutter of the other head also between the web and beyond thefirst said cutter in the direction of feed and of divergence, thusutilizing the space between the webs to the best advantage. 40

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated a multiple unit webcut-off mechanism for cutting a slitted web or a plurality of webs andembodying the features of the invention in the preferred form. 45

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the cutting heads in operativerelation.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation showing the infeed end of the machinelooking in the same 50' direction, the broken lines at the right in Fig.1 and at the left in Fig. 2 being identically located in their relationto the elements of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a similar elevation of the slitting rolls at the right of Fig.2 the broken line at the left 55 in Fig. 3 and at the right in` Fig. 2being identically located in their relation to the machine elements, andthe webs being continuous through all three figures.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation on a reduced scale illustrating the generalarrangement of the machine.

Referring to the drawings by numerals each of which is used to indicatethe same or similar parts in the different figures, the machine as showncomprises side frames I on each side of the machine in which the cutterheads 2 and 3 and the other elements of the machine are mounted foroperation as hereinafter described.

The main web 4 is fed from any convenient source which may be a fiberboard machine or a corrugator or a machine for producing sheet metal orany other type of web or merely a feeding device for such a web. Whilethe machine is adapted for cutting sheets or blanks of predeterminedlengths from webs fed at a constant speed, it may also be used to cutsimilar sheets or blanks from a web fed at an adjustable speed. This web4 may either be fed as a plurality of webs or in accordance with theprevailing practice, whereby a single main web 4 is fed to a slittingcutter 5 to be separated into two or more webs B and I which in theexisting practice are of adjustable width, the slitting cutter 5 beingmovable or adjustable transversely of the web for this purpose.

In the form of machine shown, the slitting cutter 5 comprises upper andlower cooperating rotary cutters 8 and 9 the former being shown asgrooved and the latter as entering thegroove in the cutting operation.

As they leave the slitting cutter 5, the two webs 6 and 'l are separatedand deflected. the one from the other, in diverging planes and ledforwardly to the cut-off mechanism at any convenient and suitable angledependent upon the vertical spacing of the bites of the cutter heads 2and 3 and the spacing of the slitting cutter 5 from these heads. Inaccordance with the usual practice the cut-off mechanism is connected tothe feeding source of the web to be driven therefrom and if the web isfed direct from a fiber board machine or a corrugator the main driveshaft 9 of the cut-off mechanism may be driven directly from suchmachine being connected to the driving mechanism for the delivery rollsof said machine or otherwise to give a constant speed ratiobetween thecut-off mechanism as a whole and the feed of the paper.

In the form of machine shown the cutter heads 2 and 3 are driven fromthe main shaft 9 through and by way of suitable change speed mechanismfor which purpose in the machine illustrated a hydraulic drive isprovided for each cutter head the hydraulic drive for the cutter head 2being indicated by reference character II and the hydraulic drive forthe cutter head 3 by reference character I2. The hydraulic drive II isdriven at a constant determinable speed which is proportionate to thefeed of the web 4 by any suitable connection to the shaft 9. As shown,this shaft is provided with a bevel gear I4 secured thereto and meshingwith a bevel gear l5 on and secured to a transverse shaft I6 which isdriven thereby. 'I'he shaft I6 carries secured thereto a toothed gear Ilwhich meshes with a gear I8, and this gear in turn meshes with anddrives a toothed gear I9 secured to the drive shaft 20 of the hydraulicdrive II. The driven shaft of the hydraulic drive is in the form shown,

in alignment with the drive shaft 20 and is driven at a speed which isvaried in its relation to the speed of the shaft 20 by a suitableadjusting means 2I which may be a well known type of electric controlfor such a hydraulic drive. This driven shaft carries secured thereto atoothed gear 22. 'I'his gear 22 meshes with a toothed gear 24 secured toa shaft 25 which carries secured thereto a toothed gear 25 which mesheswith a toothed gear 2l which in turn meshes with -the large toothed gear28 which operates the cutting head 2.

The cutting head 3 is` driven in a similar manner from the hydraulicvariable speed drive I2, this hydraulic drive or hydraulic gear I2 isdriven from the gear I'I on the shaft I6 which meshes with a toothedgear 30 which in turn meshes with the gear 3| on the drive shaft 32 ofthe hydraulic gear. The driven shaft of the hydraulic gear which is inline with the shaft 32 carries a toothed pinion 33 which meshes with thegear 34 which meshes with pinion 35 which in turn engages and drives thedrive gear 36 of the cutter head 3.

The change speed mechanism for changing the speed of the cutters withinthe cycle to cause the advance of the cutters to conform to the advanceof the paper, such change being effected on each side of a predeterminedmedium speed at which the cutters rotate uniformly, is fully illustratedand described in U. S. P'atent issued to this inventor August 25, 1936,#2,052,461. The details of the cutter heads being disclosed in thispatent, and described and shown in more detail than herein, reference ishad to the specification of said patent for such details.

The two cutter heads being identical in construction and operation, oneonly of these cutter heads need be described in detail. It may be ofinterest that in the form shown, the driving and driven gears of thehydraulic gear rotate in such relation that the speed of the driven gearis not only adjustable relatively to the driving gear but in thehydraulic gear II these gears rotate in opposite phase. As to thehydraulic gear I2, they rotate both in the same direction. The purposeof the hydraulic gear is one which is understood in this art, i. e., tochange the number of cutting cycles per unit of time of the respectivecutter heads which they operate, in order to determine the length of thesheets or blanks being cut.

The drive gear 28 of the cutting head 2 which is in all respectsidentical with the drive gear 36 of the cutting head 33 carries a rolleror crank pin 4|] which operates a sliding block 4I which engages radialway 42 in a rotary plate 43 and thus drives said plate in rotation. Theplate 43 is provided with a second way or slot 44 shown in alignmentwith the way or slot 42. This way or slot 42 is engaged by sliding block45 pivoted on a crank pin 45 carried by an arm 46 keyed to the uppercutter roll shaft 4l to operate the same. The plate 43 is provided witha hub or boss 48 having an opening 49 which is considerably larger thanthe shaft 4l which passes therethrough. This hub or boss 48 is encircledby a collar 59 which is adjusted vertically to change the center of theplate by means of a screw 52. On the shaft of this screw in the formshown there is a bevel gear 53 meshing with a bevel gear 54 which issecured to and operated by a hand wheel 55 having a handle or hand crank56. In this connection it may be noted that the collar is shown as ofrectangular external outline: being mounted to slide inways 51 suitablysecuredl to the guard 58T or otlierportion of the frame.

In'. the operation of each cutting head for -a medium cut the cuttersmove at a constant speed throughout each cutting cycle the platerotating concentrically with shaft il but in the cutting ofblanks orsheets which vary considerably from the medium cut in either direction,it is found advisable to increase the speed of the cutter at the pointof cutting for relatively long cuts and to decrease itsk speed at thispoint for the relatively short cuts. This is accomplished in the formshown the bite of the cutter rolls being below the shaft 41, by shiftingthe center of the plate i3 upwardly from the middle position in whichthe cutter moves at a constant speed for the long cuts, and downwardlyfrom this middle constant speed position for the relatively short cuts.It should be understood in this connection that in the normaler mediumoperation all the parts rotate about their centers at uniform speeds andwhen it is found desirable to shift the center of the plate from mediumposition the change of speed is relatively slight because of this mediumconstant speed position from which the adjustments are made in bothdirections, i.. e. in one direction to increase the cutting speed and inthe other direction to decrease it.

The upper long radiusl roll 96 carries'a knife il which cooperates witha knife 02 on the lower short radius roll 93. In the second head 3 thereis an upper long radius roll or cylinder 95 provided with knife ll and alower short radius cutter roll or cylinder B1 with a knife. m2. Thecutting cylinders of each head are connected to operate in fixed andtimed relation by intermeshing toothed gears |04 and M35 secured to therespective cutters or cutter rolls or cylinders.

The feed of the web to the cutter head' 2 is controlled by feed rollerslill' and Si in Fig. 2 which rollers are operated' at a speed whichbears a` constant ratio to the drive shaft 9 and the speed of the web 4.The lower roller Si) is mounted on a shaft d2v to which is secured atoothed gear 63 which is driven from a pinion 6d secured to a shaft 55which also carries secured thereto a gear ES meshing with a pinion 6Twhich is in turn engaged and driven by the gear Ill on the shaft i6which is driven from shaft 9 as explained.

The cutting head 3 is provided with upper and lower feed rollers il and'l2 engaging the lower web l' and feeding it forwardly and presenting itto the cutting head 3. The lower roller 12 is driven from a toothed gear'i3 secured to said roller or the shaft thereof and driven by a gear 'Mwhich. is in turn driven by a gear l5. The gear 'I5 is driven from agear 90 meshing therewith, which gear in turn meshes with the gear 63'on the shaft S2 previously described as driven from shaft Q. Gear 'l5operates delivery belts 'i6 which deliver the cut material 'l1 from thecutting head 2. These belts operate over pulleys 73 secured to the shafti9 of the gear l5 and over supporting or guide pulleys E53 and- 3l. Attheir forward ends they pass about pulleys 82 which drive a secondconveyor 83 to which the material is passed from the belts 'i6 to becarried forwardly to a point of final delivery.

The gear 'Z3 also drives a gear 85 which meshes with and drives a gear855 the shaft 81 of which carries pulleys 88 which drive conveyor belts39 by which the cut material lil is delivered from the cutting head 3being dropped thereon after cylinder S8 of the head 2' being between thewebs G' and 'l with the short radius cutter 98 nearest the slitter Efrom which the webs t and 'l diverge so that the space between the websis utilized to best advantage. In this arrangement both longradiuscutters or cylinders 95 and gli are abovethe webs 6 and 'lI on whichthey operate, both the small cutting cylinders 9i and 58 being belowtherespective webs 6 and 'l' on which they operate. It will also benoted thatthe angle between the webs t and l is determined by thespacing of the slitting cutter 5 from the cutting heads and may be fixedin accordance with the nature of the material to be cut.

It is further to be noted that this arrangement of the cutters orcutting heads is economical both as 'to vertical and horizontaldimensions and space consumed and that as thus arranged the machine isrelatively simple of construction'. The substantially uniform rotationof the parts in cutting withv the smooth operation and lack of vibrationgives an extremely long lifel to the machine and no interferencewhatever with the comfort of those working in the vicinity of themachine.

Theuniform symmetricalarrangement of the cutting heads also. has theadvantage that all adjustments for the same purpose, i. e. to givesimilar changes of the cuts, are performed as to both heads in. the samedirection avoiding any tendency' to confusion on the'part of theoperator in adjustingy the machine.

I have thus described specifically and in detail a cut-01T mechanism foroperating on a slitted web or two webs fed at uniform speeds for cuttingblanks of uniform and variable lengths from the two webs simultaneously,the description being specific and in detail in` order that the mannerof constructing, applying and using the invention may be understood,however, the specific terms hereinv are useddescriptively rather than ina limiting sense, the scope of the invention being defined in theclaims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure-by Letters Patent is: l

1. In a cut-off mechanism for cuttingsheets of f independentlyadjustable lengthsfrom a plurality of webs, means for feeding the websin divergent planes vat a constant speed, a cutting head for each webeach cutting head comprising a plurality of rotary cutters of differentradii means for operating the cutters and changing the number of'cutting cycles per unit of time relatively to the feed, the cuttingheads being spaced in the direction of feed and having the relativelyshort radius v cutters, the cutting heads being spaced in the directionof feed and having the relatively short radius cutter of one head andthe relatively long radius cutter of the other head between the webs,the long radius cutter of each head being above the web on which itoperates.

3. In a cut-off mechanism for cutting sheetsof independently adjustablelengths from a plurality of webs having means for feeding the webs indivergent planes at a constant speed, a cutting head for each web eachcutting head comprising two rotary cutters of different radii, anddriving means, a train of all circular gears connecting the drivingmeans to the cutters for operating the cutters and means for changingthe number of cutting cycles per unit of time relatively to the feed,means for adjusting the speed of the cutters at the time of cutting, tothe speed of the web, including means for shifting the centers of someof said circular gears, the cutting heads being spaced in the directionof feed and having the relatively short radius cutter of one head andthe relatively long radius cutter of the other head between the` webs,the long radius cutter of each head being above the web on which itoperates and above the short radius cutter of the same head.

4. In a cut-olf mechanism for a plurality of webs, for cutting sheets ofindependently adjustable lengths from the respective webs, means forfeeding the webs in different planes at a constant speed a plurality ofcutting heads one for each web each head comprising two rotary cuttersof relatively short and long radii respectively means for driving thecutting heads means for adjusting the speed of the cutting heads at thetime of cutting toy the speed of the web, and means for varying thenumber of cutting cycles of each head per unit of time relatively to thefeed, thereby varying the speed of each head above and below a meanspeed at which the cutters move at uniform speed throughout the cuttingcycle, the long radius cutter of one head and the short radius cutter ofthe other head being between the webs.

5. In a cut-olf mechanism for a plurality of webs for cutting sheets ofindependently adjustable lengths from the respective webs, means forfeeding the webs in planes diverging from a point of slitting said feedbeing constant, a plurality of cutting heads one for each web, the headsbeing arranged in the direction of feed and each head comprising tworotary cutters of relatively short andy long radii respectively meansconsisting entirely of circular gears for driving the cutting heads,means for adjusting the speed of the cutters at the time of cutting tothe speed f the web and means for varying the number of cutting cyclesof each head per unit of time relatively to the feed thereby varyingspeed of each'head above and below a mean speed at which the cuttersmove at uniform speed throughout the cutting cycle, the long radiuscutter of one head and the short radius cutter of the other head beingbetween the webs, the long radius cutter of each head being above theshort radius cutter of that head and the head having its short radiuscutter between the webs being nearest the point of slitting.

`6. In a 'cut-off mechanism for a plurality of webs for cutting sheetsof independently adjustable lengths from the respective webs, means forfeeding the webs at a constant speed in planes diverging in thedirection of feed from a point of slitting, a plurality of cutting headsone for each web each head comprising two' rotary cutters of relativelyshort and long radii respectively, means for driving the cutting heads,means for adjusting the speed of the cutting heads at the time ofcutting to the speed of the web and means for varying the number ofcutting cycles of each head per unit of time relatively to the feed,thereby varying speed of each head above and below a mean speed at whichthe cutters move at uniform speed throughout the cutting cycle, the longradius cutter of one head and the short radius cutter of the other headbeing between the webs, the long radius cutter of each head being abovethe short radius cutter of that head, and above the web on which itoperates and the head having its short radius cutter between the websbeing nearest said point of slitting.

7. In a cut-off mechanism for a plurality of Webs for cutting sheets ofindependently adjustable lengths from the respective webs means forfeeding the webs at a constant speed in different planes a plurality ofcutting heads one for each web each head comprising two rotary cuttersof relatively short and long radii respectively, means for driving thecutting heads, means for changing the speed of the cutters at theinstrument of cutting to conform to the speed of the web and means forvarying the number of cutting cycles of each head per unit of timerelatively to the feed, thereby varying speed of each head above andbelow a mean speed at which the cutters move at uniform speed throughoutthe cutting cycle, the cutting heads being arranged in the direction offeed and closely adjacent each other, the long radius cutter of one headand the short radius cutter of the other head being between the webs,means for slitting a main web to form said plurality of webs, thecutting head having its small radius cutter between the webs beingnearest said slitting means.

8. A cut-oif mechanism for cutting sheets of independently adjustablelengths, means for feeding a web at a constant speed, means for slittingthe web forming a plurality of slit webs, means for leading the slitwebs from the point of slitting in divergent planes, a cutting head foreach slit web each cutting head comprising two rotary cutters ofdifferent radii, means for operating the cutters, and means for changingthe speed of the cutters relatively to the speed of the web, to changethe length of the cut, and means for changing the speed of the cuttersat the time of cutting to cause them to conform to the speed of the web,said operating means consisting entirely of circular gears, the cuttingheads being arranged in the direction of feed and having the relativelyshort radius cutter of one head and the relatively long radius cutter ofthe other head between the webs, the head which has the short radiuscutter between the webs being nearest the point of slitting.

HENRY B. GREENWOOD.

